Africa-Press – South-Africa. The protests in Tembisa, which have claimed four lives, are far from over, according to a resident who identified herself as a community leader.
Addressing the media in Hospital View, Chuku Mogotsi said residents would continue protesting until the Ekurhuleni Municipality attended to their grievances.
Mogotsi added many could not afford to pay their rates and taxes.
“Our municipal rates are too high and we can’t afford them. The municipality has cancelled the free units they used to give us.”
Tembisa protest: Two die when trying to blow up ATM
“We are pulling hard. We then decided to write a letter of demand to the mayor. We need lower rates. We need a flat rate. The municipality has to reinstate the indigent policy.”
She said the protests escalated after residents felt Mayor Tania Campbell failed to address them when asked.
“We are peaceful. We won’t harm anyone. We are not violent. We managed to convince the police that we are not violent. I don’t condone what happened in parts of the township,” said Mogotsi.
On Tuesday, some protesters were seen carrying alcoholic beverages.
They hurled insults at vehicles attempting to pass through barricaded roads.
Some cars, excluding media and the police, were only allowed to access some parts of the township.
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The Tembisa Customer Contact Centre was torched earlier this week, as well as vehicles belonging to the municipality.
By 15:00, many streets in the township, including Hospital View, remained barricaded.
Meanwhile, four people died during the protest.
Two of them died while allegedly attempting to blow up an ATM at the Tembisa Customer Care Centre.
The buildings belonging to the municipality were damaged, while properties were torched and destroyed.
Community Safety MMC Letlhogonolo Moseki said the province had deployed more than 100 Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officers to Tembisa.
Moseki added they would be monitoring the situation.
Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Lebogang Maile is expected to visit the volatile township on Wednesday.
Maile claimed he wanted to establish the cause of the violent protests.
He will be accompanied by ward councillors and officials from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
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